His Words Are Like Daggers
by maggieisnotonfire
Summary: A retelling of Les Miserables from Eponine and Marius's point of view.
1. Prologue

We met when he delivered something to The Inn. My bastard of a father answered the door, I was standing meekily behind him. I couldn't breathe when I saw him. I stood there, mesmerized, counting the freckles on his cheeks. He looked at me and smiled politely, turning on his heel and walking away. As father shut the door behind him, I couldn't help but sneak a peek out the window... and there he was.

For a few months after, once a week he would deliver something to our Inn. And once a week, I would get to see that beautiful face of his. The fourth month, I finally got the courage to speak to him. I learned that his name was Marius Pontmercy. He was twenty years old, only a year older than me. He lived on his own - his mother had died a few years prior. After a few days of talking, he and I became friends.

And I fell in love with him.


	2. Chapter One

My father, known to the locals as Monsieur Thenardier, was a thief. My mum was, too, but father was more prominent with it. Dad loved arranging robberies. Really, the only problem I had with it was that I was required to take part in them.

"Father, I don't want to do this!" I protested. Father turned around, glaring, and slapped me with one swift movement.

"You shut up, girl, or I'll make you do the stealing. You're lucky I'm just letting you keep watch."

I closed my mouth, my cool hand pressed against my now red cheek. I knew better than to speak now. I'd get beaten worse... not like it hasn't happened before. Mother followed behind me, pushing past me to get a better view of the house.

"Everyone here, you know your place," Father began. "Brujon, Babet, Claqusous..." he directed the three men off somewhere. "Montparnasse, you and Eponine are going to watch for the law."

I grumbled a bit, having to be stuck with drunken Montparnasse.

"Eponine, if they come, turn on the tears."

I nodded, and just as the four men and my mother were about to head inside, a group of students showed up. I smiled - they wouldn't be able to steal now, not if there were witnesses. I didn't really take into account who the group of boys were, I was just grateful they had shown up.

"These bloody students on our street..." Mother mumbled under her breath. Then, a certain green eyed, red haired boy walked over next to me. I felt butterflies in my stomach - it was Marius.

"Eponine, what's up today? I haven't seen you much about." he said. I shrugged, not willing to tell him what was going on here.

"Here, you can always catch me in."

Marius looked around at the band of people surrounding me. "Mind the police don't catch you out." he whispered, and I laughed a small, girlish laugh. I took note of the books in his hand - Marius? Studying? Seemingly out of character, I began to question him about it.

"Here, what are you doing with all these books? I could have been a student too... don't judge a girl on how she looks - I know a lot of things!"

Marius chuckled. "Poor Eponine. The things you know, you wouldn't find in books like these."

I sighed, changing the subject. "I like the way you grow your hair..."

He laughed a bit. "I like the way you always tease."

"Little he knows, little he sees..." I thought to myself.


	3. Chapter Two

Of course, right when Marius was right by my side, able to see the whole thing, did the man and his daughter come home. All of us tried to look completely innocent. Marius seemed confused.

"Here's the old boy. Stay on the job and watch out for the law." Mother said in a low whisper. Marius opened his mouth to question us but I put a finger to his lips.

"Stay out of this."

"But, Eponine-"

"You'll be in trouble here. It's not your concern - you'll be in the clear." I said, turning away from him to my father.

"Who is that man?" Marius persisted. I sighed.

"Leave. Me. Alone." I hissed through my teeth. Marius ignored me.

"Why is he here?" he asked. I began to walk away. "Hey, Eponine!" he called after me, accidentally bumping into the man's daughter. He stared at her, obviously intrigued by her beauty. My face fell.

Any chance I ever had with him, no matter how small, was now gone.

"I didn't see you there, forgive me." he said to her. They locked eyes for a moment and I could feel my heart breaking in my chest. Father looked at me, his eyes saying 'I have a plan. Go with it.' I nodded, willing to do anything not to look at Marius.

"Please M'sieur, come this way, here's a child that ain't eaten today." Father lied, pushing me forward. I fell to the ground, the tough cobblestone road scraping my knee. "Save a life, spare a sou, God rewards all the good that you do." Father said, touching his finger to his forehead, then his chest, then his left and right shoulders in a cross. Then he froze.

"Wait a bit. I know that face." Father said, going back to his normal voice. "Ain't the world a remarkable place? Men like me don't forget... you're the bastard who 'borrowed' Cosette."

I suddenly knew who it was. It was our mayor, Monsieur Madelaine.

"What is this? Are you mad? No, Monsieur, you don't know what you're talking about." Monsieur Madelaine said, one hand grabbing the girl next to him's arm. Cosette, I guess.

Cosette... we had been children together. She now looked so beautiful, although when she had worked for Mother and Father, she was dirty and ragged and I was the pretty one... well, Cosette, look at me now. There's blood running down my leg, my hair's a mess, and I'm wearing the same dress that I've been wearing for the past two weeks.

"You know me. I'm a con. Just like you." Father spit in Monsieur Madelaine's face. Then, I heard the sound of horses' hooves along the ground and froze.

"It's the police! Disappear! Run! It's Javert!" I said in a worried whisper, bolting behind my Mother.


	4. Chapter Three

I watched from behind Mother as Javert began questioning Monsieur le Mayor, who was standing behind him. Even though he was talking to Monsieur le Mayor, Javert was staring straight at Father.

"M'siuer, the streets are not safe. We'll bring this vermin to justice." Javert spat. As he was blabbering on, Monsieur le Mayor took Cosette by the hand and they ran into their house. Javert turned around, about to say more, when he saw they were gone.

"But where's the gentleman gone? And why on Earth did he run?" he asked himself. "Maybe he's an ex-convict. Saw me and began running... could it be Jean Valjean?"

"Well he did have marks on his wrist..." Father piped up. "Now, in the absence of a victim, dear Inspector, may I go?"

Javert nodded and sent us on our way, getting back onto his horse and traveling into the distance. Marius looked at me, having seen all of it.

"I can believe your family would do this..." he began. I looked down, biting my lip. "But I can't believe you would."

I continued looking down, until I knew he was no longer in earshot.

"Cosette, now I remember... Cosette, how can it be? We were children together... look what's become of me..." I sighed, sitting on the ground. I looked over at Marius, who looked as though he was debating whether or not to be mad at me. He apparently went with the latter, because he came back over to me, offering me a hand. I took it and stood up, quickly dropping it afterwards.

"That girl, who could she be?" he asked me. I pretended not to hear him.

"That cop! He'd like to jump us but he ain't smart."

"Eponine, who was that girl?" Marius pressed on. I sighed.

"Some bourgeois two-a-penny thing." I muttered, not giving him the truth. The truth was she was Cosette, one of the sweetest girls I'd ever known. One of the most beautiful, too... and I had been very harsh and mean to her as a child.

"Eponine, find her for me!" he said. I put my finger to my chin, thinking about it.

"What will you give me?"

"Anything!"

I decided to toy with him a bit. "Got you all excited now... though God knows what you see in her." He pretended not to hear me, looking in his pocket and pulling out a few Francs. "No... I don't want your money, sir."

"Eponine, do this for me. Discover where she lives... don't let her father know..." he said. Then he went off to dreamland, quite obviously speaking to no one in particular. "I am lost until she's found."

"You see, I told you so! There's lots of things I know..." I said as he walked off. "'Ponine, she knows her way around."


	5. Chapter Four

That night, I returned to the house of Monsieur Madelaine and Cosette. I peered through the window, making sure that they did indeed live there. And yes, they did. I ran to le Cafe Musain, where Marius and all the other students of the revolution were.

"Marius!" I called for him, halfway up the flight of stairs. He ran and met me in the middle.

"Did you find it?"

I nodded, his face lighting up. He grabbed my hand and I could feel chills going up and down my spine. He began to run down the stairs, pulling me with him.

"Which way do I go?" he asked.

"Remember that house we were at earlier?"

He nodded. I gave him a look, and he understood what I meant. "Oh! It's that house!" I nodded and he began running, still holding onto my hand. He began singing, and I wasn't sure what he was singing, until I realized he was making it up on the spot.

"In my life, she has burst like the music of angels, the light of the sun! And my life seems to stop as if something is over and something has scarcely begun... Eponine, you're the friend who has brought me here, thanks to you, I am one with the Gods and heaven is near, and I soar through a world that is new, that is free!"

He let go of my hand and ran towards her window, leaving me a few feet behind. I sang along to his melody.

"Every word that he says is a dagger in me... in my life, there's been no one like him anywhere, anywhere where he is... if he asked, I'd be his."

"In my life, there is someone who touches my life waiting near." Marius sang to himself, as his smile lit up. I sensed that Cosette had come towards the window.

"Waiting here." I sang, my heart breaking.


	6. Chapter Five

Marius looked at Cosette. "My heart... is full of love..." he began. "I'm doing everything all wrong." he stuttered. I held back a laugh. "Oh God, for shame, I do not even know your name... dear Mademoiselle, won't you say? My name is Marius Pontmercy..."

"And mine's Cosette." Cosette said in her high, song-like voice.

"Cosette, I-I don't know what to say."

She laughed a bit. "Then make no sound."

"I am lost."

"I am found..."

"Is this a dream?"

"No, it isn't." Cosette answered him.

I felt a pang in my chest. But then I came to a realization... he was never mine to lose. Why regret what could not be? These are words he'll never say... not to me. Not to me. Not for me... his heart's full of love... he will never feel this way.

As I watched Cosette and Marius talk to each other... and exchange a kiss... Montparnasse showed up next to me. I looked at him.

"'Parnasse, what are you doing so far out of our patch?"

"We're going to rob from this man... he's rich, you know."

I looked back over to Marius. "He'll think it's an ambush... he'll think I'm in it, too! I've got to warn them here. I've got to find a way."

Father came up to me. "Eponine, I don't want you interfering. This bastard took Cosette away ten years ago, and I didn't get enough dough for her. It's time we settled the debt. 'Ponine, get on home. You're not needed in this."

"I know this house! There's nothing here for you! Just the man and the girl... they lead ordinary lives."

"Go. Home. Eponine." Father said through his teeth. I stomped my foot.

"I'm gonna scream!" I threatened.

"One scream and you'll regret it for a year!"

"Not one sound out of you..." Montparnasse interjected. I gave both of them a nasty look and let out a shriek.

"You wait my girl, you'll rue this night." Father said, quickly and angrily, running away. I followed him, running behind a wall so I could see the reactions. Marius ran over to me, obviously seeing me behind the wall.

"You did it, 'Ponine. You saved the day. Cosette, this is my friend Eponine. She brought me to you..." he said, holding her hand. We all heard a noise. "Someone's here. 'Ponine, come on!"

He took my hand and we ran.


	7. Chapter Six

The next day, there was a knock on the door here at the Inn. I opened it, expecting to see a cop. Instead, I saw Marius's freckled face staring at me, tears streaming down his face.

"Eponine... I just... I just got this letter from Cosette." he said, handing me a piece of paper. I opened it and read it.

"Dearest Marius," it began. "My father is having us move across the sea to the new land of America, which means I must leave you. Please, never forget me... Yours, Cosette."

I handed the letter back to him without a word.

"Cosette, what am I supposed to do? I did not live until today, how can I live when we are parted... tomorrow, she'll be worlds away... and yet, with her, my world has started. Will we ever meet again? I was born to be with her... and I swear I will be true. Do I follow where she goes? Shall I join my brothers here? Do I stay, do I dare?" he asked me.

I blinked. "I... Marius, I don't know how I can help you." I closed the door.

One more day all on my own. One more day with him not caring. What a life I might've known. But he never saw me there.

I watched out the window as Marius walked to le Cafe Musain. I devised a plan. I ran up to my room.

I grabbed some fabric, and took off my shirt. I began wrapping the blue fabric around my chest, flattening myself enough that I'd look like a boy. I tucked my hair up into my hat, and put on a trenchcoat.

One more day all on my own.


	8. Chapter Seven

At the barricade the following day, I stood among the other rebels. So far, no one recognized me as a female. As Enjolras and Marius walked among the ranks, inspecting us all, a glimmer of anger appeared in Marius's eyes. He pulled me aside.

"God Eponine, the things you do!"

I smirked. "I know this is no place for me, still I would rather be with you."

"Get out, 'Ponine, you could get yourself killed." Marius shot at me.

"I've got you worried, that shows you like me quite a lot." I beamed. Marius's angry look was replaced with a hopeful one.

"Eponine... can you take this letter to Cosette for me?" he said, shoving an envelope at me and walking away, giving me no chance to answer.

"Little you know... little you care." I said, walking away from the barricade to Monsieur le Mayor's house. The streets looked empty... eerie... bare. I took in my surroundings, the only sound ringing in my ears being the patter of my own feet.

Once I arrived there, I knocked on the door. Monsieur le Mayor answered.

"I have a letter, M'sieur. It's addressed to your daughter, Cosette. It's from a boy at the barricade."

"Give me that letter, my boy." he said. I held it behind my back.

"You have word that my daughter will know what this letter contains." he said. I reluctantly handed him the paper, and he gave me a coin. I pocketed it, tipping my hat at him like a polite boy should do.

"Tell the young man she will read it tomorrow. Now go, and stay out of trouble." I nodded, and ran behind that wall to hear what he would do with the letter.

He began to read it out loud. "Dearest Cosette," he started. "You have entered my soul and soon you will be gone. Can it be only a day since we first met and the world was reborn? If I should fall in the battle to come, let this be my goodbye. Now that I know you... love me... as well... it is harder to die. I pray that God will bring me home to be with you. Pray for your Marius. He prays for you."

I sunk to the ground, my hand covering my mouth, tears spilling out of my eyes. Hopefully, during the battle... I would die, so as not to have to put up with this misery.


	9. Chapter Eight

I walked to the barricades from Monsieur Madelaine's house, thoughts swirling around in my head. I could almost picture what life would be life if Marius loved me in return. Damn Cosette.

It began to ran, and I wasn't slowed down or sped up by it. It was a bit thought-provoking. How fitting, on the night that my heart breaks the most, that it would rain.

It's almost as if God realizes the tragedy of this situation for me.

As I approached the barricade, it was completely silent except for the drops of rain hitting the stone. I began to climb the barricade to deliver the news to Marius. One of the rival soldiers lifted up his gun, aiming at Marius. I gasped and quickly jumped in front of him...

The bullet lodging in my chest.

"Good God, what are you doing? 'Ponine, have you no fear? Have you seen my beloved? Why have you come back here?" Marius asked me, and I quickly covered up my wound.

"Took the letter like you said, I met her father at the door, he said he would give it to her..." I said, then the pain overtook me. "I don't think I can stand anymore."

"Eponine, what's wrong? There's something wet upon your hands... 'Ponine. You're hurt. You need some help, oh God! It's everywhere." Marius said, sitting down, holding me in his arms. I uncovered my wound, my fingers covered in blood. I looked up at him, the edges of my vision blurred.

"Don't your fret, M'sieur Marius. I don't feel any pain. A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now..." I touched my fingers to his cheek. "You're here. That's all I need to know, and you will keep me safe, and you will keep me close, and rain will make the flowers grow."

Marius put a finger to my lips. "But you will live, 'Ponine. Dear God above... If I could heal your wounds with words of love."

"Just hold me now, and let it be." I protested. "Shelter me, comfort me."

"You would live a hundred years if I could show you how. I won't desert you now."

"The rain can't hurt me now. This rain will wash away what's past... and you will keep me safe, and you will keep me close," I repeated. "I'll sleep in your embrace at last. The rain that brings you here is heaven blessed. The skies begin to clear, and I'm at rest... a breath away from where you are. I've come home from so far." I said, wiping away a tear that was running down his cheek, leaving a trail of blood on his face. I was finally admitting my feelings to him. He may not feel the same way, but now he knows.

"Hush-a-bye, dear Eponine, you won't feel any pain, a little fall of rain can hardly hurt you now." Marius softly sang into my ear. I smiled weakly, a pang of hurt flooding through me as I grew weaker. "I'm here."

"That's... all I need... to know..." I whispered. "And you... will keep... me safe..."

"I will stay with you until you are sleeping..."

"And you... will keep... me close... and rain..."

"And rain..." he repeated.

"Will make the flowers..." I sang.

"Will make the flowers..."

I breathed, about to say the word grow...

But darkness overcame me, and the last thing I saw was Marius Pontmercy, looking down at me with a worried look on his face. His beautiful face... that I loved.


	10. Chapter Nine

**From now on, the story is in Marius's point of view.**

"Grow..." I finished for Eponine, her brown eyes staring up at me. I gently closed them, leaning down and pressing my lips to her forehead, a few tears falling onto her cheeks from my eyes.

"She is the first of us to fall upon this barricade.." Enjolras said quietly from behind me. I stared down at 'Ponine's body.

"Her name was Eponine. Her life was cold and dark, yet she was unafraid." I said, choking up at her name.

"We fight here in her name." Comebeferre said, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"She will not die in vain." Provaire said, sitting next to me.

"She will not be betrayed." Lesgles said, picking up her feet and motioning for me to pick her up by the torso. I did so, noticing there was a small smile on her face.

Oh, Eponine, why did you have to leave me?


	11. Chapter Ten

That night, I was mourning the death of my best friend, and thinking about what she was trying to tell me as she died. The more I thought about it, the clearer it became. She... she loved me. Little did she know I used to feel the same way, until I met Cosette. If she had told me sooner... maybe she wouldn't have died.

A man in a soldier's outfit approached us, and we all pointed our guns towards him.

"What brings you here?" Joly asked. The man held up both his hands.

"I come here as a volunteer."

"Approach and show your face." Joly retorted. None of us lowered our guns.

"You wear an army uniform..." Sentry snorted. The man nodded.

"That's why they let me through."

"You've got some years behind you, sir." Joly said rudely. I smacked him on the arm.

"There's much that I can do." The man said. We lowered our guns a bit, but not all the way. Joly pointed his towards the spy we had captured earlier that night.

"You see that prisoner over there? He's a 'volunteer.' A spy who calls himself Javert..." Joly said. He was about to say more, but Sentry cut him off.

"They're getting ready to attack!"


	12. Chapter Eleven

Enjolras contemplated his options - it was either get a new soldier and risk your life or nothing. He reluctantly handed the man a gun.

"Take this, use it well... but if you shoot us in the back, we'll kill you."

The man nodded, and we all held up our guns, hearing things yelled such as "Platoon of sappers advancing toward the barricade!" and "Troops behind them, fifty men or more!"

"FIRE!" Enjolras commanded us. We all began to shoot at them, aiming carefully, trying not to waste our gunpowder.

"Sniper!" Feuilly yelled, alerting us of a sniper aiming for Enjolras. The man shot him, and the troops ran away.

"We've won today." Grantaire said with glee.

Enjolras didn't seem as pleased. "They'll be back again." He turned to the man. "I thank you, M'sieur."

"Give me no thanks, sir. There is something you can do."

"If it is in my power." Enjolras reasoned.

"Let me deal with the spy, Javert." The man said. Enjolras nodded.

"He's all yours."

The man headed over to where Javert was. We couldn't see them, but we listened. After a few moments, a bit of yelling, and then a bit of silence, a gunshot was heard. We all cheered - the spy, Javert, was dead!

Enjolras looked over our ranks. "Courfeyrac, you take the watch. They won't attack until it's light. Everybody stay awake. We must be ready for the final fight."


	13. Chapter Twelve

I began to build up the barricade a bit with broken pieces of wood and such. Enjolras looked at me. "Marius. Rest." I sighed, putting down everything and laying at the bottom of the barricade, holding Cosette's letter in my hand.

Feuilly began to sing a song that we all knew. It had been around in this part of France for ages.

"Drink with me, to days gone by, sing with me, the songs we knew..."

I listened in, not feeling up to singing.

"Here's to pretty girls who went to our heads.." Prouvaire sang.

Cosette.

"Here's to witty girls who went to our beds." Joly sang with a smirk on his face.

"Here's to them, and here's to you." All three sang in unison.

"Drink with me, to days gone by. Can it be you fear to die? Will the world remember you when you fall? Could it be your death means nothing at all? Is your life just one more lie?" Grantaire made up a verse, it went well with our current situation.

"Drink with me to days gone by, to the life that used to be... at the shrine of friendship, never say die. Let the wine of friendship never run dry. Here's to you, and here's to me." we all sang.

"Do I care if I should die? Now she goes across the sea..." I sang to myself. "Life without Cosette means nothing at all, would you weep, Cosette, if I were to fall? Would you weep, Cosette, for me?"

I soon drifted off to sleep, dreaming of absolutely nothing.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

As the dawn broke, I was woken up by the sunlight through my eyelids. As I opened my eyes, I could see everyone else was awake.

"How do we stand?" Enjolras was asking Feuilly.

"We've guns enough, but ammunition short."

"Let me go into the street. I'm sure there are plenty of bullets and ammunition lying around." I offered. Enjolras shook his head.

"I won't let you go, it's too high a risk."

I dropped my jaw. "The same is true for any man here!"

"Let me go. I am old and I fear nothing." The volunteer man said. Gavroche, a young boy who had run away from home to be part of the rebels, piped up.

"You need somebody quicker - and I volunteer!"

Lesgles tried to catch him as he climbed up the barricade. "Come back, Gavroche, don't you dare!"

Joly looked like he was about to cry. "Somebody pull him down at once!"

Gavroche dodged everyone, despite their better efforts, and got shot in the arm. He howled in pain.

"Little people know, when little people fight, we..."

Another shot was fired, but it missed him.

"... May look easy pickings but we've got some bite!"

A third shot, this time hitting him in the same place that Eponine was hit.

"So never kick... a dog because... he's just a... pup... we'll fight like... twenty armies and... we won't give... up... so you'd better... run for cover... when the pup... grows..."

He didn't finish his sentence, and died on the spot, tumbling down the barricade.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

An army officer from beyond the barricade began to yell to us. "You, at the barricade, listen to this. The people of Paris sleep in their beds. You have no chance. No chance at all. Why throw your lives away?"

"Let us die facing our foes, make them bleed while we are able!" Enjolras shouted back.

"Make 'em pay through the nose!" Combeferre added.

"Make 'em pay for every man!" Courfeyrac yelled.

"Let others rise to take our place until the Earth is free!" Enjolras said, beginning to shoot. We all loaded our guns and shot at our rivals. First, Joly died. Then, Combeferre. Grantaire. Prouvaire. Courfeyrac.

Finally, Enjolras, the volunteer man, and I were the only three left. I got shot, and I was wounded badly. The last thing I saw before falling into a mixture of sleep and death was Enjolras falling off the barricade, the red flag symbolizing our revolution in his hand, his foot getting caught in something and forcing him to hang upside down.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

I sat in le Cafe Musain, about a week after the final battle. Someone had saved my life, although I'm not sure who. I looked around at the loneliness of the room and sang quietly to myself. Singing always makes me feel a bit better.

"There's a greif that can't be spoken. There's a pain goes on and on. Empty chairs at empty tables. Now my friends are dead and gone. Here they talked of revolution. Here it was they lit the flame. Here they sang about tomorrow. And tomorrow never came. From the table in the corner they could see a world reborn. And they rose with voices ringing. And I can hear them now. The very words that they had sung became their last communion. On this lonely barricade at dawn. Oh my friends my friends, forgive me. That I live and you are gone. There's a greif that can't be spoken. There's a pain goes on and on. Phantom faces at the window. Phantom shadows on the floor. Empty chairs at empty tables. Where my friends will meet no more. Oh my friends my friends don't ask me. What your sacrifice was for. Empty chairs at empty tables...

"Where my friends will sing no more."


End file.
